𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐍 ➤ shadowhunters

06

Lexa's exhale echoed as she descended the steps into the crypt. She held back a shiver, a sense of eeriness filling her mind.
Okay, don't be a wuss now, Lex.

She stopped once she realised it was now way too dark to even see where she was going, considering using the seraph blade as a source of light, then wondering if weapons are even allowed in there.

She jumped when she suddenly felt a presence behind her and her surroundings light up.

"Didn't think much ahead, did you?" Alec asked rhetorically, a stoic yet irritated look on his face as he held a glowing rock - a witchlight.

Lexa scoffed at her knight in shining leather: "I don't need you here to berate me."

"On the contrary, I think you won't make it out of here without me," Alec replied nonchalantly, "let's keep moving."

The girl screamed internally, making faces behind Alec's back as she closely followed him.

Her irritation quietly dissipated as she looked around, noticing a sculpture of an angel holding a cup and a sword. The Mortal cup? She squinted her eyes as she noticed writing on the sword.

"Hey, what's that sa-"

"Shadowhunter creed. 'For Shadowhunters, the descent into hell is easy'."

Lexa whipped her head to glare at Alec almost fast enough to snap her own neck. Again, she cursed him internally.
"Never asking you anything again." She grumbled.

"I appreciate that." Alec was cool as ever, walking off into the direction the sword pointed in. Lexa almost threw a tantrum there and then, before jogging to catch up with the man she called an asshole in her head.

Alec put the witchlight away as they neared a lit up area, going through another tunnel and finally stopping at a dead end. A light source lit up a perfect circle in the middle of it. Lexa's eyes darted everywhere as she took it all in.

"I see why they call it City of Bones..."

A second later, and Lexa stumbled, subconsciously taking a step closer to Alec as torches lit up around them, revealing 6 men in aged cloaks, their eyes and mouth were sealed shut. Lexa heard Alec's breath hitch and was relieved to know she wasn't the only one a bit scared.

"Shadowhunters," A deep voice echoed, they turned their heads to see another Silent Brother enter. He removed his cloak and gestured towards the lit up circle, "enter the circle, Alexandra Deveraux."

Lexa turned to Alec, eyes wide, taking a step into the circle when he nodded. Alec backed away, his eyes darting between the Silent Brother and Lexa.

Her breath trembled as she stared at the terrifying figure in front of her. For a moment, she forgot what she even came here for.

"I-" she stopped herself when the previously unmoving Silent Brothers moved, surrounding her.

"The strength of the mark is imperishable," he echoed again, mouth frozen. Lexa's head was already spinning, questions ready to be voiced, "You have nothing to fear from the Soul-Sword."

"Um, okay," Lexa stuttered, heart hammering in her chest as she snuck another glance at a cautious Alec, "I'm ready for it then."

The Silent Brother nodded, summoning the sword. Lexa's breathing hitched as she realised the sword was slowly descending towards her from above, vertically.

She tried her best to keep her breathing steady as she shut her eyes, not wanting to see the Soul-Sword edging closer to her forehead. All of a sudden, she felt a cold, sharp touch and herself being pulled into a memory she had locked in her head.

She pushed the memory away for a reason, the moment she realised what she was seeing, a tsunami of regret ran through her soul.

Lexa screamed as her entire body felt like it was being ripped to shreds. Both physically and mentally she felt as if she was being engulfed by blue flames, chained in a place with no walls, ceiling or floor. Only hot, searing pain.
There was no real concept of time, her body and mind only knew pain. Pain before and pain to come. No beginning, no end.

Her scorched body never died, never completely burned away, until one moment, it all dulled. Suddenly, the enclosure was no longer filled with agony, instead a cold, dark, silence. Her screams echoed in her head as she finally felt capable of moving without pain.
Lexa's chest heaved frantically, eyes wild. What is this?

A light blinded her. She didn't know it was possible for a light source to emit cold, but it did. The icy cold made her weak body shudder, eyes squeezed shut as the light was too great, too blinding.

The only thing she heard was a powerful flap of wings, making the hairs on her body stand up, before she was suddenly hit with a freezing but scorching pain on her upper arm.

All of a sudden she saw her own bloody body loosely tied to a chair. The moment she saw her dead-like body's chest jerk in a painful intake of breath, her eyes opened to the face of the same Silent Brother.

Stray tears ran down her cheeks as she stared up at the man. Her breathing as heavy as her head.

"What-what was that? Is that it? You just made me relive it again," she choked out, voice trembling as she tried to gather her breath, "and added some ending I couldn't even see?!"

Alec's eyes widened in alarm, back instantly straightening. He felt his own heartbeat quicken in alarm as he took swift steps towards the girl.

"The soul-sword reveals all. Your descent into hell was not easy."

Alec froze, gaze turning to the Silent Brother in clear shock and confusion.

"Not a born Nephilim, yet the angel's touch made you one. The Soul-Sword does not lie."

"What?!" Lexa yelled out as she broke down into heavy sobs. "What are you saying? An angel touched me?"

Lexa was almost choking on her own breath as she watched the Silent Brothers gather to exit the tomb, "Answer me!"

She barely felt the warmth of Alec's arms pulling her up, her knees buckled yet Alec showed no struggle in supporting her. Gaze set on the Silent Brother that was in front of her a moment before, her eyes staring into the Brothers nonexistent, sewed ones.

Alec and Lexa barely caught the slow nod he gave her, before the torches burnt out and they were engulfed in a cold, blue light.

"I got you," Alec soothed lowly as he supported a sobbing Lexa.

"I don't even-" she heaved, "that can't be it-"

"It's the truth. The sword doesn't lie," Alec responded, his cool demeanor vanishing as even his own voice shook for a moment, "let's get out of here.